Darell Hammond

Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Play

Darell Hammond is the Founder and CEO of KaBOOM!, a not-for-profit based in Washington, DC dedicated to saving play by making sure there is a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. KaBOOM! works with communities and corporations to build playgrounds in all 50 states where there are none. To help start the conversation and educate Americans about the importance of play in children's lives, Hammond wrote KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play (Rodale, April 2011).

Founded out of Hammond's apartment in 1996, KaBOOM! has raised $200 million, rallied a million volunteers, led the hands-on construction of 2,000 playgrounds, and inspired a movement for the child's right to play. Hammond lives in Washington, DC with his wife Kate Becker.